Council Members Colvin Roy and Schiff and Senior Enginner, Allan Klugman,
show off the new equipment that was used to improve Hiawatha signal light timing.
Hiawatha Signal Changes Getting Good Reviews. The data is in.
I've been getting a lot of positive feedback about the improvements to the Hiawatha signals. A comment that made a big impression on me came from a Metro Transit bus driver who calld to say "thank you" for the project saying, "Now I can stay on schedule." Another man noted that he has been doing his shopping in another part of town just to avoide Hiawatha but he did not need to do that anymore. These are exactly the kind of impacts I was hoping for.
Before and after data was gathered and shows the benefit gained from the changes. Since the project was completed, the number of red-light waits lasting more than two minutes has been cut in half. The maximum delay to cross Hiawatha dropped from 11 minutes down to 4 minutes, as measured by public works. With more efficient timing, the city estimates that these improvements will save at least 13,000 gallons of gas per year and that means about 250,000 pounds of Carbon Dioxide that won't be released into our air.
Thanks to the new equipment and some custom engineering, we have reduced wait times significantly, and will reduce emissions from idling cars. If we could measure the average blood pressure of area residents, I'm sure that wil go down as well. I'm really glad that we can reduce the daily frustration and time wasted.
I did get some feedback suggesting room for improvement and we are following up on those ideas. We do have the ability to tweak some things going forward. As always, I welcome your imput about any issues of concern to you.
Thanks again to all who provided their observations over the years.
Sandy
612-673-2212
Sandra.colvin.roy@minneapolismn.gov
Libraries:
Parks:
- Hiawatha Golf Course
- Hiawatha School Park
- Keewaydin Park
- Lake Hiawatha Park
- Lake Nokomis
- Minnehaha Off-Leash Recreation Area
- Minnehaha Park
- Morris Park
- Sibley Park
- Wabun
Public Schools: (www.mpls.k12.mn.us)
- Dowling Urban Environmental School
- Hiawatha Community School
- Lake Nokomis Community School, Keewaydin Campus
- Northrop Urban Environmental School
- Roosevelt High School
- Sanford Middle School
Private Schools:
Last updated Mar. 8, 2013